Daily stories from Middletown's 366-Year History

1853: Disturbance in the Quarries

During the last week considerable disturbance has been made in two of the Portland quarries in consequence of a strike on the part of the Irishmen for higher wages. Most of them have refused to work, and threatened those who did work. Indignation meetings were held, inflammatory and threatening bills posted, and high words used. But the contracts having been made for the season, the owners would not yield. We understand that above a hundred have left the quarries, and that work was suspended for a time.